Monthly Archives: June 2013

A gemstone usually refers to a rock or mineral that is used in jewelry or as a collector’s item, usually after it has been polished, cut or faceted.

Gemstones are classified through several ways. They may be grouped according to chemical composition — for example, rubies are made of aluminum oxide and diamonds are made of carbon. If they are crystals, they may be classified using the crystal system, which divide gemstones into cubic, trigonal or monoclinic. They are also classified according to habit, which refers to the shape of the stones. It’s also possible to group gemstones according to species — for example, the mineral species beryl would include such gemstones as emerald, aquamarine, bixbite, goshenite, heliodor and morganite. Continue reading →

Tourmaline’s are gems with an incomparable variety of colours. The reason, according to an old Egyptian legend, is that the tourmaline, on its long journey up from the centre of the Earth, passed over a rainbow. In doing so, it assumed all the colours of the rainbow. And that is why it is still referred to as the ‘gemstone of the rainbow’ today.

The name tourmaline comes from the Singhalese words ‘tura mali’. In translation, this means something like ‘stone with mixed colours’, referring to the colour spectrum of this gemstone, which outdoes that of all other precious stones. There are tourmalines from red to green and from blue to yellow. They often have two or more colours. There are tourmalines which change their colour when the light changes from daylight to artificial light, and some show the light effect of a cat’s eye. No two tourmalines are exactly alike. This gemstone has an endless number of faces, and for that reason it suits all moods. No wonder that magical powers have been attributed to it since ancient times. In particular, it is the gemstone of love and of friendship, and is said to render them firm and long-lasting.